Why should I use both Campaign and Broadcast messages?

New customers often tell us that they'd either like to use our newsletters (Broadcasts) or our autoresponders (Campaigns). By taking advantage of both features, email marketers will see better results versus using only one of our features.

The Problem with Using Only One Type of Message

There are major differences in the Campaign and Broadcast messages are sent. Each has its own special niche within a successful email marketing campaign.

To illustrate the importance of using both, let's take a look at two scenarios where only one or the other is used.

Campaigns Only

You can set up as many Campaign messages as you'd like: 1, 5, 10, 30, and so on. Using only Campaigns and not utilizing Broadcasts can present several limitations, particularly if you want to maintain flexibility and responsiveness in your email marketing. Here's a breakdown of the disadvantages:

1. Lack of Timely Communication

  • Campaigns: These are typically automated and triggered based on subscriber actions, time delays, or pre-set conditions. While they’re great for nurturing subscribers over time, they don’t allow you to quickly respond to timely events or announcements.
  • Broadcasts: These allow you to send one-off emails to your list (or segments of it) immediately or at a scheduled time, making them ideal for time-sensitive updates like:
    • Announcing sales or promotions.
    • Sharing breaking news or updates.
    • Sending holiday greetings or event invitations.

2. Reduced Engagement Opportunities

  • Without Broadcasts, you miss opportunities to engage with your audience in a dynamic way. For instance:
    • Highlighting new blog posts or fresh content.
    • Sharing industry trends or news relevant to your audience.
    • Soliciting real-time feedback, surveys, or polls.

3. Limited Personalization for Events

  • Campaigns are pre-scheduled and structured, which might not suit one-off events like webinars, live events, or special launches. Broadcasts can be personalized and sent in real-time to drive attendance or participation.

4. Difficulty Adapting to Subscriber Behavior

  • While Campaigns are excellent for automation, they rely on pre-defined logic. If your subscribers' needs or interests shift, adapting campaigns can be cumbersome. Broadcasts allow you to address evolving trends or subscriber interests without reworking automation.

5. Missed Opportunities for Re-Engagement

  • Broadcasts are effective for re-engaging inactive subscribers with specific reactivation campaigns. While you can automate re-engagement in Campaigns, sending a well-timed, personalized Broadcast can sometimes yield better results.

6. Dependence on Pre-Planning

  • Campaigns require careful planning and setup. Relying solely on them may leave you less agile in responding to unexpected opportunities or challenges.

7. Segment-Specific Targeting Challenges

  • While Campaigns can use segmentation, Broadcasts allow you to create hyper-specific, on-the-fly emails targeting niche segments of your list.

Broadcast Only

Similarly, using Broadcasts only can provide limitations to your marketing. Using only Broadcasts and neglecting Campaigns has several disadvantages that could affect the performance and scalability of your email marketing efforts. Here's a breakdown of the drawbacks:

1. Limited Automation and Personalization

  • Broadcasts are one-off email sends to your list or a segment at a specific time, whereas Campaigns allow you to create automated sequences tailored to subscriber behavior or triggers (e.g., welcome series, product follow-ups).
  • Without Campaigns, you miss the opportunity to:
    • Welcome new subscribers automatically.
    • Nurture leads over time with scheduled, personalized emails.
    • Reactivate inactive subscribers with behavior-based sequences.

2. Increased Manual Effort

  • Broadcasts require manual scheduling for each send. If you frequently email your list, this can become time-consuming.
  • Campaigns allow you to "set it and forget it," ensuring a continuous flow of communication without constant intervention.

3. Inefficient Subscriber Onboarding

  • New subscribers might not receive the crucial introductory or onboarding emails that Campaigns excel at delivering.
  • This can result in lower engagement, as new subscribers may not get to know your brand or offerings effectively.

4. Missed Behavioral Targeting

  • Campaigns enable segmentation and behavioral triggers, such as sending follow-ups based on email opens, clicks, or purchases.
  • With Broadcasts, everyone receives the same email, regardless of their actions or preferences, which can lead to lower engagement and higher unsubscribe rates.

5. Inconsistent Engagement

  • Without automated Campaigns, subscriber engagement can be inconsistent. For example:
    • If a subscriber joins during a quiet period, they might not hear from you for weeks.
    • Alternatively, they could get overwhelmed if you send multiple Broadcasts in a short time.

6. Lower Email Marketing ROI

  • Campaigns often yield higher conversion rates due to their relevance and timing.
  • By not using Campaigns, you might lose potential revenue opportunities from abandoned cart sequences, post-purchase upsells, or re-engagement efforts.

7. Inadequate Long-term Strategy

  • Broadcasts are ideal for time-sensitive messages (e.g., promotions, announcements) but do not contribute to a long-term strategy.
  • Campaigns build relationships over time by consistently delivering value and nurturing leads toward conversion.

8. Missed Analytics and Optimization Opportunities

  • Campaigns allow you to test and analyze different sequences to optimize performance.
  • Broadcast-only strategies provide limited insights into subscriber behavior over time, hindering the ability to refine your approach.

Optimal Results Come from Sending Both

By sending both Campaign and Broadcast messages, both issues are completely eliminated. There are several advantages to sending both type of messages such as:

  • Targeted Automation (Campaigns):
    Campaigns allow you to send automated, personalized sequences of emails based on subscriber actions, interests, or behaviors. This ensures that the right message reaches the right audience at the right time, improving engagement and conversion rates.
  • Timely Updates (Broadcasts):
    Broadcasts enable you to send one-time emails to your list, such as announcements, promotions, or newsletters. This keeps your subscribers informed and engaged with your brand in real time.
  • Lifecycle Engagement:
    Combining campaigns and broadcasts helps you maintain consistent communication throughout the subscriber journey. Campaigns nurture new leads and build relationships, while broadcasts keep existing subscribers engaged with fresh, relevant updates.
  • Flexibility in Messaging:
    Campaigns provide a structured flow of communication, while broadcasts offer the flexibility to address timely topics or trends. This dual approach ensures you can adapt to both long-term strategies and short-term opportunities.
  • Performance Insights and Optimization:
    Using both features allows you to gather insights from automated and one-time messages. You can analyze open rates, click-through rates, and engagement trends across both formats to refine your overall email marketing strategy for maximum impact.

This balanced approach enhances subscriber experience and drives better business outcomes.

What if I have issues designing my messages?

Custom Template Design information

AWeber offers hundreds of templates you’re welcome to use! If you would ever find yourself wanting to modify an existing template or would like a custom template built for you to reflect your branding, our Template Team would be happy to modify existing templates or design a custom template for you!

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